By Andi Bourne
Pathfinder 

Knopps Celebrate 50 Years of Marriage

Faith, Family & Perseverance

 

Photo provided.

Glen and Barbara Knopp on their wedding day, May 14, 1966.

SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake residents Barbara and Glen Knopp celebrated 50 years of marriage this May. Through the ups and the downs, Barbara said it's been their faith, families and perseverance that have kept their marriage strong. Everyone is invited to celebrate with them at an Open House Saturday, June 11 from 12-4 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Hall.

Barbara was raised in Polson, Mont. Glen lived in St. Ignatius, Mont. While Barbara's father Mordie Newgard and Glen's mother Rose Knopp attended school together, Barbara and Glen had never met until the start of Barbara's senior year of high school in 1961. Glen had graduated from high school in the spring of 1961.

"Glen had his buddy in his 52' Ford that they were driving around. They had my girlfriend [Darlene Johnson] in the back seat with her boyfriend," said Barbara. "They stopped me on the street and picked me up."

Barbara hopped in the back of the car to talk to Darlene but then put herself up front with Glen and his friend.

"I don't know what possessed me but I crawled over the seat and got in the front seat with the guys. I kind of liked Glen," said Barbara. "It was his looks, for one thing. He had pretty black hair. He would say it was his car but I wasn't that big into cars at that time. I don't know; something just clicked."

For Glen it was love at first sight. "He always said he loved me," said Barbara. "He chased me from then on."

Glen and Barbara dated for six years. During that time, Glen joined the Air Force. He served for two years in Washington D.C. as the fuels specialist for the Presidential plane.

Prior to an 18-month deployment to Turkey, Glen told Barbara they were going to get married.

"He said we are going to get married before [he leaves]," said Barbara. "I'd been trying to get him to marry me for six years and he wouldn't listen to me."

They married at "The Chapel" in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Saturday May 14, 1966. They stayed in Barbara's parent's camper in the carport of Glen's parents. "That was our honeymoon," said Barbara and laughed. Glen left for Turkey the following Monday.

"I spent the 18 months, while he was gone, with my mom and dad in Polson. I worked three jobs to keep myself busy," said Barbara. She worked two days a week as a beautician for her aunt, as a cook and waitress at The Hut Café and worked as a housekeeper at the local motel. She also took care of their son Shawn who was born in Polson, July 17.

When Glen returned stateside, Barbara and Shawn joined him in Arizona for the last six months of his service at Williams Air Force Base.

In June 1968, Glen finished his service with the Air Force. The Knopps returned to Missoula where Glen began working for the Hoerner Waldorf Corp. at the pulp mill. He worked his way up from a floor-sweeper to D shift senior foreman in the pulp division when he retired Oct. 31, 2001. He also owned and operated B&G Auto mechanic shop from 1974 until 2001 when he moved the business to Seeley Lake.

Barbara was able to be a stay-at-home wife and mother.

"As the other two kids came along I was busy," said Barbara. "I was really happy to not have to work so I could be with the kids. It was nothing for him to put in an 18 hour day."

The Knopps welcomed their son Alan Glen Nov. 21, 1969 and daughter Stacy Feb. 6, 1971.

"All I ever wanted to do was get married and have kids and I did," said Barbara with a smile.

Every May, the Knopps and Glen's parents would go to Rainbow Lake, nicknamed Dog Lake, near Plains, Mont. and go camping and boating. They would sit around the campfire in the evening roasting marshmallows and listen to Glen's dad play the accordion.

Barbara played taxi driver for her children getting them to all their activities. The boys played baseball and Stacy played softball at which they all excelled.

Barbara remembers that Glen's response to the children was always "No" regardless of what they asked him. When they would ask him later, his response would often change.

"I would tell them to go ask again. He had usually changed his mind. They caught on," said Barbara with a smile. "It kind of got to be a joke."

The Knopps loved to jitterbug. They often went dancing at the Rainbow Hall on Highway 93 on the other side of the Mission and danced in parking lots to live music when they first moved to Seeley Lake. They also enjoyed having pinochle parties with family and fishing with their children.

In 1981, they purchased property on the Double Arrow Ranch. They had been coming to the area snowmobiling with friends and they decided they liked the area.

In the summer of 1994, they had their son-in-law Tim Penhorwood build their house. The whole family set up tents and camped out during the summer they built the house.

"We all helped where we could [have] played pinochle a whole lot," said Barbara.

Photo provided.

Glen and Barbara Knopp invite everyone to join them in celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, June 11 from 12-4 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Hall.

They moved to their place in Seeley Lake permanently in 2001. Glen reopened his B&G Auto next to the Seeley Lake Chicken Coop from 2002-2006. Glen also served as the Commander of the Seeley Lake VFW Post and Barbara was the president of the Seeley Lake Ladies Auxiliary. After it disbanded early in 2013, they joined the new organization Veterans & Families of Seeley Lake. Glen is currently on the board of directors and Barbara is the president.

"Glen [is] a veteran and a lot of our friends are veterans," said Barbara. "We just thank God for their service. That is the only way we are here now."

The Knopps have four grandchildren Michael, Samantha, Addy and Izzy. Glen said for them, family is everything.

For Barbara the reason their marriage has lasted 50 years is because of their love for each other, their willingness to work out their differences and make the effort to say together. Neither believed in divorce.

"God had a big part of it; our beliefs and our family was way up there on the top of the list," said Barbara recalling how they got through the rough patches. "I enjoy his faithfulness and his love. He's really been a wonderful husband and a wonderful father."

 

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